Ansata Arabian Stud - Desert Heritage Magazine
Ansata Arabian Stud - Desert Heritage Magazine
Ansata Arabian Stud - Desert Heritage Magazine
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46<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
■ by Judith Wich<br />
photos by Judith Forbis, Judith Wich,<br />
Sparagowski, Polly Knoll<br />
The year 2008 marks the 50th jubilee<br />
of <strong>Ansata</strong> <strong>Arabian</strong> <strong>Stud</strong>,<br />
world famous breeding program<br />
of Judith and Don Forbis.<br />
Being interviewed by Judith Wich,<br />
Judith Forbis shares with us her thoughts<br />
regarding past, present and future.
Judith Wich: Mrs. Forbis, in 2008 <strong>Ansata</strong> celebrates its<br />
50th anniversary. What are your personal feelings and<br />
emotions concerning this special event?<br />
Judith Forbis: The 50th! A golden anniversary – and<br />
countless golden memories. It seems only yesterday that<br />
we bought our fi rst three yearlings (<strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima,<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Mabrouka and <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Zaafarana), in<br />
Egypt. When we became entranced with the <strong>Arabian</strong> horse,<br />
and then the Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> horse, our goal was to<br />
breed the fi nest <strong>Arabian</strong>s possible. Although horses were our<br />
primary focus, we soon realized that “there is no success as<br />
a breeder without successors”. This led to involvement with<br />
wonderful people and associations who were dedicated to<br />
the preservation of this breed throughout the world. In retrospect,<br />
comparing where we began, and how far the breed<br />
has evolved since we bought our fi rst horses in l959, times<br />
have indeed changed, especially considering the renaissance<br />
of <strong>Arabian</strong> horses in the Arab world. Now, wherever we<br />
travel, we fi nd <strong>Ansata</strong> bloodlines and an appreciation of<br />
the Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> horse.<br />
Don and Judi<br />
with <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima<br />
in Lufkin, Texas.<br />
Photo by Sparagowski.
Judith Wich: How do you celebrate this unusual anniversary?<br />
Judith Forbis: So far we have celebrated our 50th with close<br />
associates. The year began with the Region 9 Breeders presenting<br />
us with a Lifetime Breeders Achievement Award in<br />
January at their annual meeting in Conroe, Texas. To receive<br />
this prestigious award from our peers in Region 9, where <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
has always been located, was especially meaningful.<br />
Other special events were held overseas the following month.<br />
Don and <strong>Ansata</strong>’s long-time breeding manager, Yvette Van<br />
Natta, and I fl ew to Kuwait where we were guests of HH<br />
Sheikha Sarah Al Sabah, Chairperson of the <strong>Arabian</strong> Horse<br />
Center. We had a delightful time visiting the friends and farms<br />
once again and seeing the results of <strong>Ansata</strong> bloodlines in their<br />
breeding programs. We also saw the plans for expanding the<br />
Don and Judi with <strong>Ansata</strong> Halim Shah at the 1988 Egyptian Event.<br />
Photo by Polly Knoll.
<strong>Arabian</strong> Horse Center (now known as Bait Al Arab) as well<br />
as the exciting new foals there. We helped the Center recover<br />
after the Gulf War by assisting them in buying new bloodstock.<br />
Now the Center is developing a solid straight-Egyptian<br />
breeding program. It was rewarding to see Sheikha Sarah’s<br />
program, and to renew acquaintance with <strong>Ansata</strong> Hejazi<br />
and his get at Mohammed Al Marzouk’s beautiful stud farm,<br />
again a primary source of <strong>Ansata</strong> bloodlines in the Gulf. The<br />
progress of the Kuwaiti breeders and their enthusiasm for the<br />
Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> horse there knows no bounds.<br />
We then fl ew to Qatar to enjoy the Qatar International<br />
Show. The competition this year was truly remarkable. After<br />
the show Al Rayyan Farm, owned by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin<br />
Khaled Al Thani, held a special 50th anniversary celebration<br />
for us and an evening presentation of horses primarily relating<br />
to <strong>Ansata</strong> breeding, the foundation bloodstock of the farm.<br />
Visitors were overwhelmed by the consistency and incredible<br />
beauty of the horses – most of them grey, with a sprinkling of<br />
bays and chestnuts. It was heart warming to see the incredible<br />
strides Sheikh Abdul Aziz has made in his breeding program,<br />
and a source of great pride to us that he has taken our program<br />
to such a high level over the past l8 years since he bought his<br />
fi rst <strong>Ansata</strong>-bred horses, <strong>Ansata</strong> Majesta and <strong>Ansata</strong> Splendora<br />
in l990. During the dinner that followed, Bart van<br />
Buggenhout, Al Rayyan’s enthusiastic manager, presented to<br />
us, on behalf of Al Rayyan, two large black and white pencil<br />
drawings by artist Heidi Frank; one with three of our favorite<br />
mares (<strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Mabrouka, <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Bukra and<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Samantha), one with three of our favorite stallions<br />
(<strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima, <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Sudan and <strong>Ansata</strong> Halim<br />
Shah). Bart also read a very touching 50th anniversary congratulations<br />
message that he had thoughtfully composed. Then<br />
the Kuwaiti breeders, who were also in attendance, presented<br />
us with a lovely pastel of Selma Al Rayyan, a daughter of<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Hejazi.<br />
A special surprise came when we were unanimously voted<br />
by the <strong>Arabian</strong> Horse Breeders Alliance Board of Directors<br />
to receive the Lifetime Breeders Achievement Award at their<br />
successful new Las Vegas Show. Last year’s award went to<br />
Wayne Newton. It was delightful to see so many of my friends<br />
at the show and also to meet Wayne again. We fi rst met him<br />
in Amarillo, Texas in the early 70’s, when <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Sudan<br />
Judi and <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima during a presentation at the Stallion Spectacular, Houston,<br />
Texas, 1973. The three famous Nazeer sons: <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima, Morafi c and Talal were<br />
exhibited togheter for the fi rst time in history.<br />
Photo by Sparagowski.<br />
was Champion Stallion at the Tri-States Fair. Wayne was the<br />
featured entertainer at the Fair, and was asked to<br />
present the trophies. Afterwards we all went out<br />
to dinner. Some years later, when <strong>Arabian</strong> type<br />
was “going out the window” in America,<br />
Wayne’s advertisements and <strong>Ansata</strong>’s both<br />
stressed the importance of maintaining<br />
classic <strong>Arabian</strong> type! Several mares bred by<br />
Wayne, along with his extremely typey grey<br />
stallion, Star of Antigua, are now part<br />
of the Al Shaqab breeding program in<br />
Qatar.<br />
As I write this, the Pyramid Society<br />
is planning a 50th anniversary<br />
celebration for us at the Egyptian<br />
Event in June. A unique<br />
offering at the annual art auction<br />
will feature as a special<br />
50th anniversary tribute,<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 49
Don and <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima in Lufkin, Texas.<br />
Photo by Judith Forbis.<br />
50<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
two head studies in bronze of <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima and <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
Halim Shah sculpted by our dear friend, Karen Kasper. These<br />
will make a wonderful complement to the bronze she crafted of<br />
Morafi c, in remembrance of Tom McNair. It was <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn<br />
Halima and Morafi c who were the “golden cross” that ushered<br />
in the renaissance of Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> horse breeding, not<br />
only in America, but worldwide. And <strong>Ansata</strong> Halim Shah –<br />
who was unquestionably the most dominant and infl uential<br />
stallion thereafter, combined the bloodlines of both stallions.<br />
This is only the fi rst half of the 50th anniversary year – the<br />
rest remains to be seen.<br />
Judith Wich: Please share with us some memories of special<br />
moments during <strong>Ansata</strong>’s history.<br />
Judith Forbis: There are so many special moments over a period<br />
of 50 years, it is diffi cult to list just a few. A fond recollection<br />
was our visit to Egypt in l959 when we fi rst saw the<br />
horses at El Zahraa and chose our fi rst three yearlings. We<br />
had been living in Turkey and travelling through the Arab
countries, but we never saw <strong>Arabian</strong> horses that we envisioned<br />
in our minds’ eye until we arrived at the Egyptian<br />
Agricultural Organization’s El Zahraa <strong>Stud</strong> in Egypt.<br />
We were touched by the fragile beauty of Nazeer, then 25<br />
years of age, the dramatic head of his son, Morafi c, and the<br />
exquisite refi nement of the mares such as Bukra, Moniet<br />
El Nefous, Ghazalah, and others. I fell in love with the<br />
yearling fi lly, Bint Mabrouka, and she with me. When<br />
all the fi llies were called for noontime feeding in the barn,<br />
Bint Mabrouka stayed with me until I walked away<br />
from the fence. Then she went into the barn. Of course we<br />
were immediately attracted to Ibn Halima because of his<br />
beautiful head, big dark eyes and wonderful balance. We<br />
both chose him; and for a third choice, Don was partial<br />
to the lovely Bint Zaafarana. When EAO Director, Dr.<br />
Afi fi and Dr. Marsafi , then El Zahraa’s stud manager,<br />
agreed to let us buy these three, it changed our lives, and<br />
we were committed to the Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> from then<br />
on! This touching story is chronicled in my book, <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
Judi with <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Halima at his arrival in Mena, Arkansas.<br />
Judi and <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Sudan in front of the show barn, Mena, Arkansas.<br />
Photo by Sparagowski.<br />
Ibn Halima – The Gift.<br />
Meeting Doug and Margaret Marshall, and the McNairs<br />
in Egypt in the early 1960’s was an event, that resulted in<br />
a lifelong association. Later Doug and I worked together to<br />
launch the Pyramid Society along with other dedicated breeders.<br />
Those formative years were dynamic and exciting as the<br />
Egyptian horse evolved into a world renowned entity, much<br />
to the credit of the Society’s purpose as a breeder’s organization<br />
and the development of its showcase Egyptian Event. Egyptian<br />
Events are now held in other countries and I am very<br />
proud of this achievement.<br />
Another memorable moment was when <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Sudan<br />
went US National Champion in l971. The people who had<br />
leased him that year also had a National’s contender. We had<br />
a very unpleasant situation arise in getting Sudan returned.<br />
When he arrived home he was totally out of condition. Luckily<br />
the Nationals was postponed for a month because of the VEE<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 51
52<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Mital<br />
The exotic stallion <strong>Ansata</strong> Mital<br />
(<strong>Ansata</strong> Iemhotep x <strong>Ansata</strong> Majesty)<br />
of Orienta <strong>Arabian</strong>s, Germany.<br />
Photo by Judith Wich.<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
outbreak, and our manager and I gradually got Sudan into<br />
shape. In the meantime Hansi Heck sent us Serenity Sonbolah<br />
to take care of prior to the show, thus the two eventual 1971<br />
US National Champions were under our care. The classes<br />
that year were huge - 83 champion stallions were presented in<br />
A, B, and C divisions. When Sudan pranced into the arena,<br />
he electrifi ed the crowd with his commanding<br />
presence. He knew it was his day, and<br />
anyone who saw him win will<br />
never forget him. And neither<br />
will I.<br />
Another precious moment
was when <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Bukra arrived at our farm in l965.<br />
We saw her in l960 as a yearling (then named Hosnia) and<br />
wanted to buy her. However, due to African Horse Sickness,<br />
horses from Egypt were restricted for import to USA. A few<br />
years later the embargo was lifted. Dr. Marsafi said we could<br />
buy her, but they would not guarantee she could get pregnant<br />
due to her crippled pelvis. He offered her sister instead, but<br />
we declined. So they bred Hosnia, whom we renamed <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
Bint Bukra, to Sameh, put her on a States Marine Isthmian<br />
cargo ship in a crate all by herself, although she was pampered<br />
by the sailors. After the long trip on the high seas she was then<br />
transported half way across America to Oklahoma by van. She<br />
proved to be in foal and produced a superb bay fi lly that we<br />
named <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Misr (daughter of Egypt). And the crippled<br />
beauty, <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Bukra became the foundation mare<br />
of <strong>Ansata</strong>. Today her descendants are avidly sought around<br />
the world.<br />
Other special moments were meeting Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin<br />
Khaled Al Thani of Qatar when he fi rst visited our farm in<br />
Arkansas some l8 years ago. He was quite young and had never<br />
been out of his country. He arrived with an entourage and no<br />
baggage! Uncomplaining, the group went to Walmart and got<br />
suffi cient items until their luggage showed up the next day. That<br />
was the year he bought <strong>Ansata</strong> Majesta and <strong>Ansata</strong> Splendora,<br />
and our Qatar experience has continued ever since.<br />
Various celebrities have been to the farm. Mike Nichols and<br />
Patrick Swayze are life-long friends. Paolo Gucci was a charming<br />
personality and associate. Oddly enough, signifi cant<br />
horses from his herd ended up at Al Shaqab when his stud<br />
was disbanded in l994, and they made an outstanding contribution<br />
to the breeding program (e.g, Kajora, dam of Gazal<br />
Al Shaqab). President Bill Clinton came to the farm while<br />
he was Governor of Arkansas and meeting him was an unforgettable<br />
experience. He loved <strong>Ansata</strong> Ibn Sudan and Ibn<br />
Galal I-7, almost as much as he enjoyed eating our apple pie<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Selket<br />
Type and elegance - <strong>Ansata</strong> Selket<br />
(<strong>Ansata</strong> Halim Shah x <strong>Ansata</strong> Samarra) of Al Rayyan Farm.<br />
Photo taken from the new book “Jewels of the <strong>Desert</strong>”<br />
by Judith Wich.<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 53
54<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Azali<br />
One of the foundation mares<br />
of Orienta <strong>Arabian</strong>s, Germany: <strong>Ansata</strong> Azali<br />
(<strong>Ansata</strong> Iemhotep x Bint Faras Azali).<br />
Photo by Judith Wich.<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
and discussing business. I’ll never forget him looking out over<br />
the magnifi cent Ouachita mountain range from our porch and<br />
remarking: “I didn’t know there is so beautiful a place in all<br />
of Arkansas”.<br />
Other joys have been writing my books; each a labor of love,<br />
but requiring tremendous dedication, time and research. But<br />
the end result has been almost as rewarding as breeding the<br />
horses because the books have been educational tools for so<br />
many breeders.<br />
Well I could go on forever…<br />
Judith Wich: Although the herd at <strong>Ansata</strong> has been reduced<br />
in the past few years, you still own some very interesting<br />
individuals. Who are they and what are your current bree-
ding plans with them?<br />
Judith Forbis: We wanted to retain a few horses after selling<br />
the majority of the herd to HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa<br />
Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar and HH Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin<br />
Mohammed Al Qasimi the ruler of Sharjah. We kept <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
Bint Serqit (<strong>Ansata</strong> Malik Shah x <strong>Ansata</strong> Serqit x <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
Selket) and Sherifa Tamria (Royal Jalliel x Imperial Daeemah)<br />
who has just produced an outstanding colt by <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
Qasim. <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint Serqit will also be bred to Qasim and<br />
perhaps one of our other stallions from whom we have frozen<br />
semen. Gift of the Nile (Ruminaja Bahjat x <strong>Ansata</strong> Nile Gift)<br />
is shared with the Zukowski’s and she has produced two excellent<br />
stud quality colts by <strong>Ansata</strong> Iemhotep and a lovely fi lly by<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Sinan. In addition there are several other promising<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Nefer Isis<br />
and Nadrah Al Rayyan<br />
young stallions of our breeding with the Zukowskis. We also<br />
own <strong>Ansata</strong> Samiha (Prince Fa Moniet x <strong>Ansata</strong> Samantha)<br />
who is living with Mauri and Steve Chase in Aubrey, Texas.<br />
This much admired mare recently produced two excellent<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Hejazi colts by embryo transfer. <strong>Ansata</strong> has always<br />
been known for producing superior breeding stallions, and we<br />
continue striving in this direction. So, as you can see, <strong>Ansata</strong><br />
is not out of business and we intend to stay involved.<br />
Judith Wich: What are your personal thoughts regarding<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Qasim?<br />
Judith Forbis: <strong>Ansata</strong> Qasim (Farres x MB Moneena x Talmona)<br />
was the result of a carefully planned mating. We bought<br />
his grandmother, the exquisite mare Talmona. She traced<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Nefer Isis<br />
(Prince Fa Moniet x <strong>Ansata</strong> Nefertiti)<br />
and her fi lly Nadrah Al Rayyan<br />
(by Ashhal Al Rayyan) of Al Rayyan Farm<br />
Photo taken from the new book<br />
“Jewels of the <strong>Desert</strong>”<br />
by Judith Wich.<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 55
56<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Hejazi<br />
(<strong>Ansata</strong> Halim Shah x <strong>Ansata</strong> Sudarra),<br />
owned by Ajmal <strong>Stud</strong>, Kuwait.<br />
Photo by Judith Wich.<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Hejazi<br />
to one of our favorite mares, Bint Mona (Nazeer x Mona<br />
x Moniet el Nefous), a full sister in blood to <strong>Ansata</strong> Bint<br />
Mabrouka. Bred to Farres she produced the beautiful show<br />
winning fi lly, <strong>Ansata</strong> Mouna, who was sold to Al Naif <strong>Stud</strong><br />
in Qatar. Breeding Farres to MB Moneena, Talmona’s daughter,<br />
was a similar cross with some added benefi cial traits.<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Qasim was the result, and he was a smooth, refi ned<br />
and elegant colt from day one. He was shown successfully in<br />
the US and in England where he stood at stud to a variety of<br />
well-bred mares. When I saw the resulting foals there I was<br />
most pleased. Rather than sell him at the end of the lease we<br />
brought him back to the States, as good breeding stallions are<br />
scarce. His fi rst foals to date this year are praiseworthy, but<br />
the majority are yet to arrive out of straight Egyptian mares.<br />
Qasim under saddle is handsome indeed; he has excellent
<strong>Ansata</strong> Malaha<br />
movement, and we may show him in performance this year.<br />
He will be at the Egyptian Egyptian Event on the Stallion Avenue<br />
presentation.<br />
Judith Wich: <strong>Ansata</strong> bloodstock is represented in important<br />
stud farms around the world. How do you evaluate the current<br />
worldwide development of Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> horse<br />
breeding?<br />
Judith Forbis: The Egyptian horse is alive and well on most<br />
continents. However, we need more alternatives to just “horse<br />
shows.” Non-competitive activities and “gatherings” worldwide<br />
must be organized to provide greater education, knowledge<br />
and appreciation of the breed – just as <strong>Ansata</strong> and Bentwood<br />
Farms did in years past through our seminars and social<br />
events. We have seen the appreciation of Egyptian bloodlines<br />
rise in the Gulf, in Australia, and recently in Egypt itself.<br />
Where a few years ago there was only a handful of private<br />
breeders in Egypt, now there are over 300! America and Europe<br />
need further stimulation. South America one hears little<br />
about. I don’t think there is the emphasis on “breeding” and<br />
studying of strains, families and bloodlines as there was when<br />
we fi rst began. People want instant success today without having<br />
to do their homework. Yet overall, I believe more interest<br />
will develop if sound leadership is forthcoming.<br />
Judith Wich: Where do think Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong> horse breeding<br />
in the <strong>Arabian</strong> Gulf is heading?<br />
Judith Forbis: The <strong>Arabian</strong> Gulf has taken a giant step forward<br />
in breeding Egyptian horses. They have purchased many<br />
of the best bloodstock in Europe and America. It has become a<br />
hot contest between princes and sheikhs to own the best of both<br />
straight Egyptians and international <strong>Arabian</strong> bloodlines.<br />
Most Arab owners now enjoy horses as part of their tradition<br />
and culture. Some are true students of the breed, can recite and<br />
know the strains and families by heart. They are not just breeding<br />
show winners to show winners; they are breeding for a<br />
solid program built on selective breeding principles.<br />
HH Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the ruler<br />
One of <strong>Ansata</strong>’s ambassadors<br />
in Qatar: <strong>Ansata</strong> Malaha<br />
(<strong>Ansata</strong> Halim Shah x <strong>Ansata</strong> Malika)<br />
of Al Shaqab <strong>Stud</strong>.<br />
Photo by Judith Wich.<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 57
The <strong>Ansata</strong> Show Barn - Photo by Judith Forbis.<br />
58<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
of Sharjah, inaugurated the fi rst Egyptian Event in the Gulf.<br />
Although it was for Sharjah breeders only, it was enthusiastically<br />
attended by other breeders from the Emirates and Qatar,<br />
and the camaraderie and fun among the contenders was evident.<br />
Hopefully there will be more Egyptian Events take place<br />
in the future. Interest has been expressed in holding Egyptian<br />
Events here in the Arab world that are not competitive, but<br />
rather educational in nature like the early ones in America<br />
before the Event became more of a horse show. We are planning<br />
in Qatar to host such an event in the near future and<br />
also publish a GCC Reference Handbook of Egyptian <strong>Arabian</strong><br />
horses. The handbooks published by the Pyramid Society<br />
in the US, Europe and Egypt, have been valuable tools for<br />
breeders around the globe as well as a unifying element for<br />
Egyptian breeders.<br />
Judith Wich: Please tell us more about your work in Qatar!<br />
Judith Forbis: At the time we sold the horses, I was asked by<br />
HE Sheikha Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of<br />
the Qatar Museums Authority and a member of the board of<br />
directors of Al Shaqab, to become involved as a consultant. I<br />
currently rotate between Qatar and home. I have an offi ce at
Al Shaqab, one at the <strong>Heritage</strong><br />
Library, where my collection of<br />
photos and books is housed (we<br />
sold this to HH The Emir), and I also<br />
work out of my suite at the Sheraton overlooking<br />
the Gulf. There are so many projects going on here. The<br />
new Al Shaqab equine complex is overwhelming in size and<br />
scope. When it is completed it will contain the breeding farm<br />
and also serve as a primary gathering place for equine activities.<br />
Currently my main focus is writing a book, <strong>Heritage</strong><br />
of Al Shaqab. The Al Thani history reads like something out<br />
of A Thousand and One Nights, and in researching the early<br />
Al Thani’s, I now understand the critical role horses played<br />
in the history of this country. Most interesting were the ties<br />
between the Al Thani’s, Ibn Rashid of Hail, the Al Saud’s of<br />
Saudi Arabia, and the Al Khalifa’s of Bahrain, at the time of<br />
Mohammed Ali the Great and Abbas Pasha. One of the fi rst<br />
Dahmah mares recorded in the Abbas Pasha Manuscript went<br />
from Qatar to Abbas Pasha.<br />
Judith Wich: Imagine you could travel back in time – is there<br />
any historic person relating to <strong>Arabian</strong> horses you would<br />
like to meet? What would you like to ask him/her?<br />
Judith Forbis: There are several people I’d like to meet: Count<br />
Waclav Rzewuski of Poland, Abbas Pasha I, and Ali Pasha<br />
Sherif of Egypt and Lady Anne Blunt of England. The<br />
Count, because he lived in Arabia in the early l9th century<br />
before many of the best desert-bred horses left there as a result<br />
<strong>Ansata</strong> Qasim<br />
(Farres x MB Moneena) )<br />
owned by <strong>Ansata</strong> <strong>Arabian</strong> <strong>Stud</strong>, USA.<br />
Photo by Sparagowki.<br />
of the exodus to Egypt and elsewhere. Abbas Pasha, because I<br />
spent years working on his manuscript with Gulsun Sherif. I’d<br />
like to know more about his selection and breeding principles,<br />
and the same from Ali Pasha Sherif who acquired many of the<br />
Abbas Pasha horses. I admired Lady Anne Blunt’s courage for<br />
traversing parts of Arabia under most challenging conditions<br />
and who established Crabbet in England and Sheikh Obeyd<br />
<strong>Stud</strong>s in Egypt. (Don and I travelled much of her route almost<br />
a hundred years later, and it was diffi cult at that time, even<br />
though we had a car). I would inquire about her meetings<br />
with Ali Pasha Sherif and other Egyptian royalty who bred<br />
horses at that time.<br />
Judith Wich: If a mysterious djinn would come and grant<br />
you three wishes, what would that be?<br />
Judith Forbis: Many have already been granted. I’d like to<br />
stay active in the <strong>Arabian</strong> horse world, breed Chihuahuas (hopefully<br />
fi nd another one like Rudi Valentino), and also contribute<br />
meaningfully to whatever activity I’m involved in. I enjoy<br />
my associations in Qatar, and after watching this country<br />
emerge at record speed, I do believe in genies granting wishes.<br />
Judith Wich: Which moments relating to <strong>Arabian</strong> horses do<br />
you enjoy most?<br />
Judith Forbis: I guess when a new foal is born, especially one<br />
from a particular mating that you have high hopes for. Now<br />
I am excited about the new foals coming in South Carolina<br />
by <strong>Ansata</strong> Qasim, and also the ones here at Al Shaqab and Al<br />
Rayyan. Sheikh Abdul Aziz has <strong>Ansata</strong> Sokar here and I’ll be<br />
anxiously awaiting the results of the matings he has selected. I<br />
also look forward to seeing the foals by Al Adeed Al Shaqab out<br />
of <strong>Ansata</strong> mares that belong to Al Shaqab. Another special moment<br />
is when I see someone new “get the passion” for Egyptian<br />
horses – or any <strong>Arabian</strong> horses - and commit to a breeding<br />
program and participation in the <strong>Arabian</strong> horse community.<br />
Judith Wich: What are your plans for the future?<br />
Judith Forbis: At this point in time, I let the future take care<br />
of itself. My activities in Qatar are challenging and enjoyable.<br />
If the farm in Mena sells we will have many choices to make.<br />
So, I believe in letting go and letting God. It is the best course<br />
of action. ❑<br />
<strong>Desert</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 59